Foreign media view 2020 as a truly special year for Vietnam as the country has not only performed the dual role of ASEAN Chair and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) but also done a good job of concurrently containing COVID-19 and sustaining economic growth.

VOV.VN - The Vietnamese U22 national football team, the national women’s football team, and the country’s athletics team, have all been tasked with defending their leading position in the region during the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games which will be held in the country in late 2021.

Though 2020 is a challenging year for Vietnam with the rise of COVID-19, the 14th National Assembly (NA) has taken innovative approaches and managed to complete an enormous workload to fulfill all its three missions in lawmaking, supervision and major decision-making.

ASEAN+3 countries must work together to complete a legal framework for cyber security, looking towards building common ASEAN rules and standards for information security based on voluntary codes of conduct, said Deputy Minister of Public Security Bui Van Nam.

VOV.VN - As the Chair of ASEAN in 2020, the nation has led the efforts of the ASEAN member states in promoting a response to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the website https://moderndiplomacy.eu/.

VOV.VN - The Vietnam ASEAN Para Games Organising Committee (VIEAPGOC) has proposed a total of 11 sports to be played at the 11th Southeast Asian Para Games (ASEAN Para Games 11) which is scheduled to be held in Hanoi from Dec. 17 to Dec. 23, 2021.

Vietnam has well performed its missions while serving as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in the first year of the 2020-2021 tenure, contributing to maintaining regional and global peace and stability as well as improving the country’s prestige in the international arena.

The UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), expected to come into force in the beginning of 2021, is promising several export opportunities to the European market for Vietnamese garment-textile and footwear enterprises.

Vietnam has successfully fulfilled its role as Chair of ASEAN in 2020 and made significant contributions to the region, according to Hoang Thi Ha, an expert from the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute of Singapore.

The Sputnik news agency of Russia recently published an article that reviewed commentaries on Vietnam posted by Russian and other countries’ press outlets, reflecting Vietnam’s COVID-19 combat and achievements in different areas, especially diplomacy and economy.